


In Your Company

by Misttiique



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Crushes, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28430151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misttiique/pseuds/Misttiique
Summary: The creature is silent and unmoving, but its eyes follow Tendou’s, watching and waiting for him.“What big eyes you have,” Tendou whispers to him. A low growl is his only reply.“What big ears you have,” Tendou notices next, watching them twitch at the mention of them. It’s way too obvious that the wolf understands him because its ears twitch in unison with his words. Without warning, it’s jaws open to reveal a row of teeth that glow in the moonlight.“What big teeth you have,” Tendou finishes. Now, he’s so close to the wolf, he could almost touch it. In fact, everything seems sharper and clearer than before, including the familiarity of this beast before him.
Relationships: Tendou Satori & Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24
Collections: Haikyuu!! Urban Fantasy Bang





	In Your Company

The train finally leaves Miyagi station at 10.30 am sharp. It’s only a couple of hours journey to the city and yet, it feels like it has the potential to leave an entire life behind. Or, maybe that’s exactly what Tendou Satori needs. 

Balancing his head on his hand at the edge of the windowsill, he watches the environment around him change. He knows better than to have too much hope but at least, this was better than being stuck in that sleepy, faraway town. The woods speed past his vision, only a flash of green, brown and grey before the scenery changes into the fields in the countryside and more rural towns. Leaving Miyagi would be his chance at a fresh start, though fitting in is a whole other concern. Anything would be better than being stuck in Miyagi, he’s certain of that much. 

Dark clouds hover overhead and soon, a light drizzle descends but it doesn’t stop the tingle of butterflies in his stomach when the train stops at his destination. 

Already the crowded Tokyo station is filled with commuters despite it being after peak period. Tendou stands with his bright purple luggage and overfilled backpack in the middle of the station’s atrium. His hands fiddle with the strap of his bag, feeling his stomach fill with more butterflies. All around him people jostle their way, reminding him of bees in a hive. His scarlet hair and brightly coloured outfit made from shades of pastel pink and green differentiate him from the locals here. It mattered back at his hometown but here, it seems everyone is too busy to stare at him. There might have been the occasional curious glance his way but otherwise, he goes around the city unnoticed. With his fingers tapping on his phone’s google map, he’s determined to navigate his way to his new home on his own. 

His apartment is half an hour away from the training centre. There’s still a couple of days more before he has to report for training as a professional volleyball player with the Shiratorizawa team. 

Volleyball has been and still is his dream to this day. No one could really figure out just why he was good at it. It could have been luck or pure genius or even a fluke but he proved his teammates, coaches and judges wrong with his skill of defending the ball. He didn’t even know how he could do it, but whenever the ball is just about to reach his side of the net, something deep down moves his body and pulls him upward. His arms follow suit, creating a looming barrier against the ball so it falls into the opponent's side of the court. He knew time and time again that his prediction of where the ball was going to be right. He knew it enough to stare deep into the eyes of his opponents, his eyes boring into shocked ones as they were blocked yet again by him. Being gifted with instinct and intuition should have been something to be proud of, but instead, it led him down a darker, lonelier path. 

“Guess Monster” was what they called him, with emphasis on the “Monster”. But, he wasn’t the monster majority of the time, and this combined with the fact that he could be a little louder than the rest made him an outcast. It wasn’t just in his schools but word spread through the small town of his seemingly supernatural abilities and the townspeople watched him warily. Or, maybe they just had a certain distaste for his family. His family used to be involved in the hunting trade of their town but have stopped, or so Tendou was told but he doesn’t remember much about it, other than the stories about monsters of myths and legends. 

The town’s residents' cold eyes would not hesitate to let threats happen before their eyes and simply fold their arms to do nothing about it. Tendou’s lanky frame didn’t help the bigger guys free from taking him on. Despite it being in the past, his scars still remain. 

_ But it is all worth it _ , he tells himself at times for it is what pushed him to continue moving forward, no matter what. It even earned him a spot on one of the highest-ranking teams in Japan. 

The keys to his apartment reveal a tiny but warm living space. It’s enough for a bed, a small kitchen, toilet and a living room. It’ll have to suffice for now on his budget. 

The view will be something he’ll have to get used to. Concrete, metal and glass sprout all around him when he sticks his head out of the window. There’s a small walkway with some grass between his apartment building and the next — supposedly a park with a bench and some streetlights. Sunlight still shines through but it doesn’t spill into his house as much as he would have liked. 

The next few days are spent unpacking and making the apartment feel more like a home to him. Anime figures on some tabletops and posters along with the now announced Tendou’s presence in the apartment. Though the newest addition to Tendou’s life was the constant noise surrounding him. The city around him keeps him awake in the first few nights. Or, maybe it’s the excitement to be able to play with the top-notch team. Whatever it is, he knows he needs to get accustomed to it though sleep doesn’t feel like it’ll be arriving anytime soon. 

The night before his first training session with Shiratorizawa, his eyes don’t close for the night. Tossing and turning only makes the sleeplessness worse. It’s quieter than usual tonight but sleep doesn’t seem to reach him. Finally, he sits up and looks out the window. His eyes drift between the apartments of the opposite block before settling on the patch of green in the park. Sighing softly, he slips out of bed, put on a jacket and heads out the door. 

The night air is cooler than he expects, washing over his exposed skin. It’s past midnight on a weekday so the streets are fairly clear, except for the occasional passing of cars on the road. 

He ends up walking along that strip of grass that passes for a park. Hazy street lights illuminate the thin path he walks on. Nearby, a few crickets chirp away, oblivious to his presence. They seemed to be the only wildlife around. Thinking back to his old house, he remembers how he could slip into the forests near his backyard with ease, letting nature surround him. Now, it was just residential buildings enclosing him. 

He strolls slowly, his hands in his jacket pockets and his eyes looking around lazily. That is until he spots a pair of glowing orbs in the distance across the road from him.  _ It’s probably the streetlights or a car or motorcycle, _ he thinks to himself. 

However, the location of the glow has no road, rather it doesn’t even have the space for a car or motorcycle to fit in, and there were no other street lights on the opposite side of the road. It should have been completely dark, well, except for the moonlight, of course. 

He blinks a couple of times to clear his vision, he opens his eyes to find that the pair of glowing objects have disappeared.  _ It must be the trick of the light, or maybe just the lack of sleep, _ he tells himself. He doesn’t spot any other glow in the distance after that, but he does remember seeing it again in his dreams. 

—————

Tendou is practically bouncing off the walls as he packs his bag before leaving for training practice. This was all he could dream of for as long as he could possibly remember; to play volleyball professionally. Despite what everyone had said, he knew this was the sport he could prove them all wrong and he did just that. 

The moment his bus reaches the stadium he’s training at, his mouth forms an ‘O’ at its size. Everything feels so different from the gyms he’s so used to playing in. 

The team members and coaches gather at the edge of one of the courts in the stadium. He’s asked to introduce himself but his nerves almost get the better of him as he almost stutters while introducing himself to the Shiratorizawa Volleyball Team. His sweat drenches his palms and soaks his socks and it only increases when he worries if they’ll accept him or not. 

Biting his lip nervously, he listens to the team’s Captain introduce the members of the team and the coaches. Tendou tried to put names to each of their faces by remembering distinct aspects of each person and their names. However, the most unexpectedly striking feature of the team was the warm chocolate eyes of their Captain, Ushijima Wakatoshi. 

“Now that you’ve introduced yourself and heard the introductions of the team, we will begin training. Training starts at 9 am sharp and ends at 5 pm from Mondays to Fridays but I expect everyone to be warmed up by the time we start. Semi will be showing you your locker later after practice. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me.” The Captain’s voice is surprisingly deep though Tendou half expected it since it matches his physique well. His size and height tower over Tendou and the rest of the team, probably someone who spends the rest of his time working out when he’s not training in volleyball, but still this doesn’t make him any more striking. 

From his first glance, Tendou may even have considered him hot. But, Tendou’s focus is on volleyball and it should stay on it, at least that’s what he tells himself. 

Shiratorizawa’s training is physically demanding and requires team members to use every single ounce of strength, which isn’t surprising how they are always the top team in the country. 

They start with a run around the gym’s big stadium grounds before moving onto tossing and spiking drills. The practice game at the end of the day is one that the team doesn’t hold back on, as though it were an actual match instead of a practice one. 

From his position as a middle blocker, Tendou pushes himself to keep up with the rest of the team but he can’t help smile as he jumps upward to block yet another spike. He grins in response as his teammates on the other side have confusion written all over their faces. Tendou’s excitement only grows when the team’s Captain does his famous spike from the back of his court. Ushijima runs forward, leaping into the air, his shadow covering Tendou for mere seconds as his hand makes contact with the ball. It slams with enough ferocity to end anyone on the other side of the net. 

His powerful spike happens throughout the game and Tendou can only marvel at the amount of stamina he has to keep going. He was breathing slightly harder when Tendou was panting and about to collapse to the wooden floor of the gym. Watching Ushijima pant as he wipes his sweat with the edge of his jersey and reveals abs for days, makes Tendou’s heart beat faster and breathing heavier. Even though it was only a peek at his abs, Tendou’s intuition knew that they were also rock hard. 

When the training ends, he’s presented with his own Shiratorizawa jersey with his very own number printed on the back. His teammates commend him on his mysteriously accurate blocks with pats on his back. His worries of fitting in with the team have dissipated as he feels himself relax more and begin to show his personality. 

The entire team goes for a celebratory dinner at a nearby cafe for their new member. Tendou can’t believe how lucky he is to finally be playing volleyball professionally and to be accepted for once.

Training is exhausting but Tendou wouldn’t want it any other way. With his team, he’s now louder than he was before as he figures out Shiratorizawa’s dynamics. Weeks pass and he finds he’s settled in faster than he would have thought. He learns he enjoys teasing Semi and encouraging Goshiki and the other kouhais in the team. He gets along well with Reon and Shirabu as there’s always something to talk about. 

And then, there’s Ushijima. Everyone in the team works hard but it’s clear why Ushijima is the Captain. He’s the first to be at the gym and last to leave on most days. In their hour-long lunch break, Ushijima spends half of it hanging out with the rest of the team and the other half training. His dedication was more than admirable, at least more than his straight-forward and truthful (though others have compared it to tactless) interactions. The team didn’t seem to mind it but it made Tendou all the more curious about the quiet Captain. 

Despite being known for his presence being intimidating, which Tendou was admittedly a little scared of at first, he starts to hang around him a little more. There’s just something about the way Ushijima listened to you whatever he said, even the more irrelevant of topics and could repeat them perfectly when asked again. That’s what he experienced when he happened to come early before training or during lunch. 

With the upcoming tournament and his first with the team, Tendou knows he needs to train. And train, he does. He slowly gets better at setting the ball and spiking, both are things he’s not as skilled at as a middle blocker. The last rays of the sun are long gone when he’s training and his teammates have left more than a while ago. Most of them, at least. Tendou is about to toss the ball when a deep voice echoes from behind him. 

“I can see you’re shaking when you toss the ball up. You need to keep it steady,” the voice reverberates through the empty gym. 

Tendou turns in shock but the voice is unmistakable. His stunned expression must have been taken as confusion at the advice because Ushijima lowers his bag and walks towards him. 

“Here, let me show you.” He’s already changed out of his sports attire but he’s ready to demonstrate the advice to Tendou. 

Tendou hands him the ball he’s holding and takes a step back to give Ushijima some room. He holds the ball in front of himself and pauses, almost completely still. Just as he had done in countless matches before, Ushijima tosses the ball up and runs forward and he leaps to connect the ball with his hand. The ball flies over the net and lands somewhere far away from the both of them. 

“See? My whole arm was still and the ball was balanced. When I throw the ball upwards, it won’t change its course. So, it will connect with the middle of my palm and that enables it to go over the net.”

Ushijima walks back to Tendou and hands him a ball. “Now, you try.”

Tendou takes the ball but almost hesitantly. His palms are sweatier than before and he bites his lip, wondering if he could follow exactly what Ushijima had said. 

He keeps his arm still before he tosses the ball and tries to hit it. However, half his fingers make contact with the ball and send it only slightly over the net. Tendou tried again and once more after that but he still gets the same result. His shoulders droop with a sigh. 

He’s about to try another time when Ushijima comes over. Large, gentle fingers wrap around his wrist and hold it steady. “Keep this still and the ball will be balanced. Now, when you toss the ball and jump for it, raise your other arm just a bit higher than the ball so your whole palm will be in contact with it.” 

Tendou nods, though he’s more focused on the hand on his wrist and the soft voice next to him. He nods again and takes a deep breath. Ushijima removes his hand slowly and Tendou feels chills down his spine. 

Keeping his arm steady, he tosses the ball, runs and leaps and places his hand higher than it usually would hit the ball. And then, the ball feels snug in his palm for only a millisecond before bounding over the net and far into the other court. 

He turns around excitedly, eyes bright and despite having a tiring day already, he seems to bounce up and down. “It worked! It actually worked!”

Just as Shiratorizawa’s victories were announced or aired, Ushijima’s face remained stoic and free of the loudest of emotions. Now, he simply shrugged and said, “I knew it would work.”

“But, really, thank you. Finally, I’m getting better at tossing with your help.”

“You will get better if you continue to practice, which I’m sure you already do. I may not be a setter but these are some of the things I’ve picked up over time. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Ushijima picks up his things and leaves the gym. 

Does Ushijima notice his additional training? Something about that makes his insides feel warm and a smile grow on his face. It stays with him even as he takes a stroll in the park next to his home later that night. 

It feels a little warmer than usual, or maybe it’s just because of what happened earlier, Tendou notes. By this time, it’s quieter with fewer cars around and practically no one in the park. Over the last few weeks, it’s become one of the ways Tendou winds down before heading to bed. The park seems to soothe him and the quietness relaxes him. Though sometimes, the only unsettling feeling was one that he was being watched. He often blamed it on his overactive imagination but tonight, he’s slightly more sensitive. 

He looks around and everything looks normal. But it might be too soon to tell. A small rustle in a nearby bush makes him speed up a little and he realizes it’s just a squirrel and slows back down. He sighs, thinking to himself that it’s probably best he heads back home now. Walking back to his apartment, his gaze just happens to chance upon those bright yellow dots in the distance and he could swear they were eyes following him. Before heading to bed, Tendou is about to close the window when he hears a howl in the distance. 

The eyes… the howl… it could only belong to wolves — werewolves to be exact. All those stories that his family would retell were etched into his memory. He ticks those werewolf characteristics off one by one in the list in his head. A werewolf is following him. Part of him wishes it was all his imagination and blame it on the stories he’s heard over the years but the other part of him just can’t let this matter go to rest. 

————

There’s only a couple of weeks left before the tournament and training sessions have become longer and more gruelling. But, that still doesn’t stop Tendou from training harder and harder. Since Ushijima also trains before and after the actual sessions, Tendou joins him. It was a bit awkward a few weeks ago as Tendou hadn’t spent much time with him and the only other time was when he advised Tendou about his setting skills. Nevertheless, it was starting to get comfortable between them. They helped each other toss, set and spike in these unplanned but consistent practice sessions. Ushijima would talk to Tendou about certain tips and Tendou would talk his ear off about the most random facts and thoughts. It was weird to Tendou that Ushijima even allowed him to speak that much and even paid more attention to him than his other teammates when he was in moments he’s simply absorbed in the topic, whether it was about the latest movie, celebrity or even manga. Occasionally, Ushijima asked him questions halfway through and he couldn’t be happier to answer them. It was a weird bond in Tendou’s opinion but somehow, it felt right. 

“Hey, I noticed that you also get on one of those trains on the blue city train line at the station next to the gym. You live around the area?” Tendou casually asks one day after their own training session. It’s just the both of them packing their belongings in the locker room. It’s been a long exhausting training session and Tendou couldn’t think of anything better to do than crawl under the sheets and sleep. 

“Yeah, I do. Four stops from here. It’s convenient for me,” Ushijima replies. “What about you?”

“Same! Although it’s five stops for me. I can’t believe we live nearby and we haven’t seen each other on the train before,” Tendou remarks. Maybe he’s just getting used to watching the city in the early morning and evenings that he’s not aware of his surroundings on the train rides. They end up leaving together that day. 

Fast forward and it’s a few mere days left before the competition. Although their coach wants them to train harder, Ushijima insists that they shouldn’t work too hard or else they’ll burn out before the competition even starts. Since it’s not as late as most days so Tendou suggests to Ushijima they head to a cafe two train stops away from the gym. 

It’s a small cafe tucked in the corner of the street. With the inviting aroma of the coffee, simple interior and tiny plant terrariums around the place, it was somewhere Tendou spent his weekends and after training. It was usually quieter than the other ones around the area and Tendou was familiar with some of the baristas there with how often he’d go there. In some way, it reminded him of his hometown and he was happy to share his safe haven with Ushijima, the person he’s come to be closest to in the entire team. He’d also come here because he started to miss his hometown, especially the forest behind his home. 

“You are right, this place is quite charming,” Ushijima says, looking around the cafe. 

“I know right! It reminds me of my hometown and also that drama I was telling you about a few days ago! Do you remember? The female protagonist used to work in a cafe like this when she meets her love interest!” Tendou bounces excitedly. 

His eyes are bright and his silly smile plastered on his face, both of which were only growing bigger the more time he spent with Ushijima. Maybe it was the way Ushijima responded to him with patience and curiosity of whatever random topic he’s got his mind on or the way they practised and relied on each other during practice and training or it could be the way he supports and encourages him sincerely?

“Ah yes, I do remember that.” Ushijima nods thoughtfully. “I enjoyed the clip you sent me the other day about the ending of it. I am happy that she finally got her happy ending.”

“I knew you’d like it! But enough about me rambling on about that show. Let’s order!”

Between their hot chamomile tea (Ushijima’s because he said he needed to relax) and caramel oat milk frappuccino with extra whipped cream (Tendou’s despite knowing that too much sugar isn’t good for him), they finally took a deep breath of relaxation. 

“So, are you here on your own? In Tokyo, I mean,” asks Tendou. He swirls his straw in his almost empty cup, looking at the mix of its contents. 

“Yes and no. My parents are divorced so my dad is overseas and my mom sometimes comes to the town or if not, she’s with my relatives in a different state,” Ushijima replies matter of factly. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, it isn’t anyone’s fault, really. It happened when I was much younger so things have settled between them now. What about you… if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh well, that’s a little complicated.” Tendou lets out a bitter laugh. “My family is… not the usual type of family.”

He sighs, this was something he’s rarely had the chance to tell anyone and maybes that’s for good reason too. But, somehow the way Ushijima’s gaze is upon him and his hand are only inches away from his own, he takes a deep breath before he begins. 

“My… uh, family, is well… not the most liked in town. It’s a small town, Miyagi, and it’s where everyone knows everyone. They’re… we’re a family that doesn’t really belong, I guess? We’re supposedly considered to be hunters among the people of the town, though they don’t exactly hunt because that was all in the past.”

Ushijima’s gaze stays fixed on him and he doesn’t interrupt, except nod his head at Tendou’s story. 

“And, they’re highly superstitious too. Their beliefs in the supernatural run deep — actually too deep if you’d ask me. That combined with the very odd fact that I could be better at predicting other people’s moves in volleyball kind of just makes me an easy target I suppose.”

Ushijima is silent, hanging on to every word out of Tendou’s mouth. Finally, he speaks, which makes Tendou tense at his next words. 

“And because of that, they’ve treated you like that — like an outcast?” Ushijima stops for a second, eyes wide before he apologizes. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it that way. I didn’t mean to say it in a negative way. You’ve mentioned it before and I… I am sorry I brought it up.”

Tendou slaps his hand playfully on the table. “Nah, it’s all right. I’m pretty much used to it so don’t apologize. I’m surprised you actually were listening and remembered that fact, though,” he murmurs. 

“Of course, I’ll listen to what you have to say. I like hearing you speak,” Ushijima admits, his normal tone may be a bit monotonous but Tendou can tell the sincerity in it now. 

“You do?” Tendou can feel the tips of his ears getting hotter as he blushes. No one, absolutely no one, has ever in his entire life told him that before. 

“Yeah, I do,” replies Ushijima, as if it were a well-known fact. “You’re very informative and interesting to listen to. I’ve learnt a lot of things from you as well.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be able to talk to anybody so comfortably if they weren’t you either, so the thanks go back at ya too!” Tendou finger-guns him and laughs, hoping not to sound awkward at all. 

Although he gets back later than usual, Tendou still takes his daily stroll around his block. He should be asleep by now but part of him is still being fueled by the burst of warmth and energy he feels whenever he’s with Ushijima. The more he walks, the more he finds himself smiling at the thought of Ushijima — his gaze, his tone and his sincerity. 

Tendou doesn’t even realize where he’s walking until he reaches the end of the block but that’s not what forces him to stop it. It’s the pair of eyes that seem to bore into his own. He looks around but there’s no one there. He feels a chill down his spine as suspicion takes over him. How are there even werewolves in the city? How did they find him here?

The eyes are unmoving, or so they seem until they begin to grow larger as their owner inches forward to Tendou. Before he can think of more, his body turns around and marches him straight back to his apartment, where he latches the door immediately. 

————

The date of the tournament arrives and between his last sighting of those eyes and the final round of the tournament, Tendou has no time to remember those eyes again but they are a permanent fixture in the back of his head 

When they win the tournament and keep their title of the top volleyball team in the country, Shiratorizawa goes out for drinks to celebrate their victory. Even Ushijima joins them. 

Tendou drinks more than he can handle but he realizes it a little too late when his knees feel like jelly and his heart pumps too fast when Ushijima steadies him. Somehow, the hand on his back remains as he’s guided home from the train station to his apartment block. 

“Careful now,” Ushijima murmurs to Tendou, who can only hum happily in response. 

“Gosh, we won! Can you believe it Ushijima? We actually won!” Tendou laughs and spreads his hands wide up in the air. 

He might have been mistaken but he could have heard Ushijima let out a giggle before pushing his hands down. He tries to wiggle his way out of Ushijima’s hold but Ushijima knows better than to release him, especially in his drunken state. Tendou is apparently amused by this and somehow finds his hands scrunched up in Ushijima’s shirt. He tugs on it, making Ushijima bend so he’s face-level with him. Another chuckle is on his lips when he notices that up close, Ushijima’s eyes looked familiar — a bit too familiar. 

The reason should have been that it was those warm same pair of eyes that stared back at him on a daily basis. But, no, this was different. They almost… glowed. Maybe it was being in the very same park at the first sighting that triggers his memory. It was those same pair of eyes he saw looking back at him from the dark. 

————

The question has been bugging him for weeks. Gone was his hangover and the rest of his memories of the night with it. He ended up home after celebratory drinks went a little too far and nothing else other than that. 

Training continues as usual and so do his nightly walks. The weather has been increasingly chilly and the darkness reaches them earlier with each passing day. Still, Tendou carries on with his routine. The only thing that makes him a little wearier each time he steps out is being able to spot those pair of eyes that follow him. 

It hasn’t been a daily occurrence, well, not until very recently. He’s sure of what he sees, especially coming from his background. Those glowing pair of eyes just seem to know when he’s about to step out of his house or even when he’s on his way back home from practice later than usual. They could be in the bush, behind the trees near his apartment block, between buildings and even passing street corners and lights. They were everywhere and they just knew where he was. 

It made Tendou’s mine race and his palms sweaty. A shiver ran through his spine as his worries of being watched seemed to grow. His overthinking of them even possibly made him see those eyes on Ushijima — the person that he’s grown the closest to among his team and the person who he just couldn’t stop thinking of. 

Maybe he’ll have a reasonable explanation for all of this, Tendou thinks to himself. And, he’ll believe me anyway. Who else would believe him otherwise if he had said a pair of eyes following him around? 

However, no matter how much he distracted himself, those eyes haunted him. It felt like they were trailing him from building to building, from consciousness to unconsciousness. He wasn’t scared per se but all too aware that those eyes reminded him of werewolves. It reminded him of why he decided to come out for a fresh start in the first place. 

————

“Hey, uh, Ushi, could I tell you about...um, something? I don’t really know who else I can say this to without them thinking I’ve lost my mind,” Tendou murmurs. He gazed down at his drink and waits for him to reply. This was a big leap but Tendou is hopeful that Ushijima would believe and understand him. 

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Well, um, this is so weird to say… I don’t even know where to start right now.”

Ushijima pats his hand softly and nods, urging him to continue. “Start wherever you feel like starting, I’m listening.”

“Okay.” Tendou takes a deep breath before he starts. 

“Remember when I told you that my family is weird… yeah, they are… um, how do I put this, hunters? Hunters to be exact. And… these couple of months since I’ve been here, something strange has been going on. I’ve been… I’ve been… seeing eyes. No, not human eyes… this is going to sound so strange but,” Tendou lets out a bitter laugh and looks down at the floor. “They look almost like the eyes of a wolf. And the weirdest thing is… my ancestors used to hunt wolves — werewolves to be exact. Or, so the stories they passed down to each generation say. Those eyes just somehow remind me of those stories again — the werewolf eyes, and they’re… I think they’re following me.”

Tendou’s glad that the cafe is nearly empty. He runs his fingers through his red hair, thinking to himself he probably looks and sounds out of his mind right now. “Whether I’m walking back after training or at home staring out my window. I see them, Ushi, I do. You believe me right?”

Tendou finally glances up to see his best friend’s response. But, Ushijima doesn’t look shocked or horrified or even concerned at the very least. He just looked sort of uncomfortable, if Tendou has to describe him. He gives Ushijima a moment to take it all in, his heart thumping harder with each beat until they seem to drown every other sound in the atmosphere. 

“That’s a bit of a stretch there, Tendou. Are you sure?” Ushijima asks. 

“Positive, I know what I saw.”

“Maybe there’s a wolf running around the city? Or, what you are seeing could be just another animal’s pair of eyes?” Ushijima offers. 

“Wolves in the city? Maybe in the countryside but not in this city.” Tendou shakes his head. “No, I’m sure what I saw was a wolf’s eyes. There used to be some running through the forest in my hometown. I’m definitely sure of it,” he replies. 

Ushijima’s warm chocolate eyes shift back and forth to their surroundings and him. His hands have never shaken once, not even before a big match, but now they tremble slightly on the table between them. He starts to tap them, trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible. 

“I hate to be the one to say this but Tendou, what you’ve said doesn’t sound possible. In all honesty, I don’t believe it. We’ve been training pretty hard lately, could it be a little bit too tiring for you?”

Tendou feels his heart starting to deflate. Ushijima probably doesn’t believe him and he probably thinks he’s crazy now and is struggling to tell it to him. He presses his lips together, knowing his attempt failed and the weight on his chest only gets heavier. The cafe suddenly feels tight, almost claustrophobic around him. 

“Yeah, maybe, I’m just… tired.” Tendou concedes, biting his bottom lip nervously, he doesn’t know how to fill their silence that starts to fill the air. He knows he sounded crazy at this point. The only person that he has ever felt the most connected to probably would want to distance himself as much as possible from him, just as he should be doing in the first place. His eyes are starting to burn as they threaten with tears. 

Ushijima stares down at his hands as Tendou can only assume the worst. “Forget what I said, I think I might take a few days off to clear my head.” He nods to himself at his decision. “Yeah, maybe I’ll go back home for a bit.”

“Yeah, that might be best,” Ushijima finally responds. His voice is deeper than usual and there’s a cold edge to it that Tendou picks up on, or maybe he’s just imagining it again. His sudden change in attitudes creates a chill in the cafe that only grows with the silence. No more words are exchanged. 

Tendou grabs his belongings and heads toward the door. He pauses before he steps through the door’s threshold and turns to look back at Ushijima longingly. He still hasn’t moved an inch since Tendou has gotten up. His eyes fixated at the floor and fingers trembling slightly as he grips the table. 

And as he had told Ushijima, Tendou goes home and starts to pack his things. Since there weren’t any upcoming tournaments in the next month to prepare for, Tendou makes a call to their coach to request a few days of leave to go back home. Outside, the buildings seem to be closing in on him. It’s grey exterior matches the colour of the sky as the rain starts to fall. 

_ Maybe the forest air would help me clear my head _ , he thinks to himself. Hopefully, he can forget about those pair of eyes for a while. Sure, going back did remind him of the thoughts of werewolves and hunters but it suddenly felt a lot better than being cooped up here and possibly being watched. 

————

There isn’t a welcome party as he arrives back to the large house at the edge of the forest on the outskirts of Miyagi. The quietness of his surroundings is a stark contrast to the business of the city landscape he’s been accustomed to in the past months. The air is also fresher here and it soothes him, letting him breathe once more. Having spent most of his childhood playing and exploring these woods, it was a welcoming sight. 

A couple of days in and he feels the difference between being in Tokyo and Miyagi. The biggest one was not having Ushijima around. He doesn’t like the way things were left but part of him already knows that the damage has been done and Ushijima won’t see him the same way again. 

Tendou’s thoughts tonight have been leading down the old familiar path to the woods behind his home. There’s a snap of a fallen branch and a crunch of leaves from behind. He thought just a mere moment ago about his solitude before it changes. 

Those glowing eyes now stared back at him from between the trees. 

Tendou’s first instinct is to run; anywhere would be fine, just as long as he was away from it. He can feel the panic start to build in his chest and the adrenaline starts to pump through his veins. How could it possibly know he was here?

Then, he remembers where he is. These woods once brought him comfort and peace and this was his territory as long as he could remember. Whether it be from a refuge away from bullies or a place to think and plan for the future, the forest was his domain. 

Those eyes had been haunting him since he moved and they’ve even followed him here. It felt it was trespassing on his own place and Tendou wasn’t going to allow it. Somehow summoning whatever courage is inside him, he takes a deep breath and holds it as he puts one foot in front of the other. He takes one step, then two and three steps in the direction of those eyes. 

They blink a couple of times as if confused by the fact that instead of running away, Tendou is making his way to it. 

With each step, the conviction of getting to the bottom of the mystery becomes more obvious. Less hesitation between steps and the slowly decreasing distance between the wolf makes it back away slightly. Still, Tendou’s pace only quickens and he starts to sprint towards it. He needs to know what or who exactly it is and why it’s always been around him. 

It turns and speeds ahead with Tendou at his heels. At every twist and turn of the wood’s fallen trees and steep inclines, Tendou races through it with ease and the determination to know more about the wolf. 

The full moon hanging overhead watches them from above and its light is the only source in the darkness. Tendou chases the wolf, his legs aching and his breathing quickens as he gulps down as much oxygen as he can. They run and Tendou has never been more thankful for all those times he’s run with the team and the additional runs with Ushijima. 

_ Ushijima…  _

The name is all too familiar now as it echoes through and through his head. He pushes past the ache in his chest and speeds up to the wolf. 

The trees seem to converge and the space around him becomes more sparse, except for the wall of trees at the end of the space. They’re now surrounded by trees in this clearing. 

The wolf paces at the foot of the tree line, toeing it but never stepping over the threshold. It holds its head down as if thinking with its quick strides. Tendou comes to a halt a few feet away. At the back of his mind, he knows he should be standing further away from the wolf, lest it turns around and snaps its large jaws at him. 

But, he was never one to listen to that rational voice anyway. He continues to take his time in making his way to the wolf. He was going to get to the bottom of this long mystery that’s been plaguing his mind once and for all. 

Knowing there’s no escape, the wolf turns toward Tendou almost reluctantly. As it did before its gaze is sharp and flickers toward Tendou. 

Tendou’s breathing hasn’t returned to normal yet, but he gulps down the air as if each one might be the last one he breaths. He steels himself to continue to move toward the wolf, whose body doesn’t move or react to his presence now. Its fur stands on the ends and its teeth are bared slightly. 

All this time, Tendou has thought those eyes glowed but up close, they were chocolate brown eyes that reflected the light as they gaze at him once more. The only sounds tonight were their breathing and the crickets in the surrounding forest. 

The air between them is heavy with the invisible line that Tendou knows he shouldn’t cross. But, he does anyway, taking a small step towards the huge brown wolf before him. Its eyes lock in with his own and he takes a breath to steady himself. He holds his hands out toward the wolf, half in almost surrender and a half in an attempt to say he means it no harm. 

Tendou takes another step towards him very slowly, his breath caught in his chest as he hopes he can get a little closer to the wolf. However, the wolf pulls away and a low growl escapes from it. 

The creature is silent and unmoving, but its eyes follow Tendou’s, watching and waiting for him. 

“What big eyes you have,” Tendou whispers to him. A low growl is his only reply. 

“What big ears you have,” Tendou notices next, watching them twitch at the mention of them. It’s way too obvious that the wolf understands him because its ears twitch in unison with his words. Without warning, it’s jaws open to reveal a row of teeth that glow in the moonlight. 

“What big teeth you have,” Tendou finishes. Now, he’s so close to the wolf, he could almost touch it. In fact, everything seems sharper and clearer than before, including the familiarity of this beast before him. 

The wolf lowers his head, allowing Tendou to lay his hand on it softly. Its fur is softer than it looks and its warmth immediately spreads from his palm and goes up to his arm. He thinks back to his suspicions before and now, it’s clearer than ever. 

“I know who you are,” Tendou murmurs. He feels the slight jerk of the wolf’s large head. He swallows before he continues. “I had a feeling already from before and I know you won’t hurt me… I know it’s you, Ushijima. You don’t have to hide from me anymore.” 

The wolf makes a low whine and its eyes stare back into Tendou’s inviting look. It doesn’t move away from Tendou’s hand after the revelation. Instead, it nods quickly. There’s sort of a rumble in its chest and it pants a little bit harder than usual. The moonlight seems to shine on them with all its might, giving them an ethereal glow. The wolf takes a sudden step back away from Tendou and looks to the full moon above to let out a piercing howl. The sound echoes through the woods but the rumble gradually turns into a vibration, spreading throughout the wolf’s body. It moves further away from Tendou, body shaking and pulsing as he creates more distance between them. He wants to move forward and help it in whatever way he can, after all, he was just saved by this wolf. 

But, something about this makes him stop himself from going any closer. The wolf’s body writhes and it collapses onto the forest ground with a thump. It stretches out its front paws and the fur seems to disappear. Its body shakes furiously and starts to shrink and along with it goes it’s fur. Ears that stood atop its head only mere moments ago have sunken down beneath hair. Hard paws and sharp claws recede to become hands and feet. Crouched before Tendou could only be the person he knew and trusted so well, Ushijima Wakatoshi. 

————

Under the moonlight, there seems to be an ethereal glow about Ushijima. His crouched form uncurled as he regained consciousness gradually. Tendou held out his hand cautiously before Ushijima’s hand takes it. 

“I’m sorry you had to see all that. I didn’t mean to show you… this form.” Ushijima sighs and looks away. “I knew you were in trouble and I had to do something. I can understand your feelings if you don’t want to see me any longer.”

“Ushijima, I’ll still want to see you, whatever shape or form you might be in,” answers Tendou. “But how and why are you here?”

“You told the coach you had to head back for a few days and he said it must have been serious. I got worried and especially after how I treated you before you left, I just, um, I just needed to make sure you were okay. I apologize for following you all the way here but I couldn’t just sit by while something happened to you.” 

“And, I am,” Tendou assures him. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me, you know.” 

He starts to connect the dots in his head until the question that’s been troubling him since he moved to the city pops up. 

“But tell me one thing… I know you were the one watching me back in the city. Why?”

“I… I… I felt almost drawn to you. I can’t explain it but that's what it feels like. I can only guess that something about being a descendant of werewolf hunters and being a werewolf has something to do with it.”

Tendou nods. That might explain why he feels connected to Ushijima since he first saw him. 

“I’m sorry too,” Ushijima apologizes. 

“For what?”

“For that day, at the cafe. I wanted to tell you… I wanted to tell you so bad… about you being right about everything. But, I couldn’t tell you the truth there and then as much as I wanted to because I couldn’t risk the chance of exposing my kind to the rest of the world. I’m sorry I hurt you and the way I reacted when you told me about your problem. I should’ve… I really should’ve told you the truth and that I believed you when you talked about those eyes and the werewolf hunters.”

“I understand, Ushijima. You have to do what you need to do to protect your own. I would have done the same and that was why I was hesitant to tell you about my past too.”

If all those stories and legends he’s grown up hearing since he was young had a purpose, it might have been for this very moment. Tendou grips Ushijima’s warm palms, helping him up before they head back to the house at the edge of the woods. 

————

The coldness of the morning must have left a pink hue on Tendou’s pale skin, which was probably the reason that Ushijima is currently looking at him with wide eyes. 

“Hey, quit staring already,” Tendou says with a laugh. “We’re going to be late for our train back to Tokyo.” He grabs the sleeve of Ushijima’s sweater and pulls him toward their train platform. 

It’s still early, with not enough people from the small town heading to work in the city yet. After last night’s events, Tendou brings Ushijima back to his family home. There was a certain silence in the air but knowing that Tendou had accepted him for who he really was, Ushijima was content, or so he convinced himself. 

The inside of the train is equally empty. Fog encapsulates the glass windows of the train. Still, Tendou peers outside, looking past the fog to the mountainous region. Combined with the deep green shades of the forest, it fills Tendou with a sense of calm he hasn’t felt in a long time. 

Beside him, Ushijima sits quietly. His gaze is faraway and Tendou has spent enough time with him to know that his silence isn’t normal. 

“Hey, is there something wrong? You’re quiet but never this quiet and also, you’ve got that look on your face again,” observes Tendou. 

“Huh?” Ushijima looks at him startled. “Oh, um… yeah, but it’s a small matter anyway.”

“Then, why do you look so serious?” Tendou tilts his head so he can look into those gorgeous brown eyes. 

“I...uh… am just happy that we are… heading back.” Ushijima lets out a nervous laugh. 

“C’mon, Ushijima. I know you and I know what you are so there’s nothing you could say that’ll make me change my mind about being around you. I’m sure of it.” Tendou shifts closer to him until their knees touch. 

“I… I… uh, I’ve never felt this way before so please forgive me if it comes out wrong. And, uh, really if this is not going too well, just stop me, okay?”

Ushijima is now flushed scarlet. There’s a slight tremor in his hands — something that almost never happens, even before competitions with the strongest opponents. Tendou wants to reach out and hold them and steady them but he’s afraid that Ushijima might pull away. 

“Well, here it goes… I like you, Tendou Satori. I really do. I like you a whole lot more than a friend or best friend does. I know you accept me but it’s too much to ask you to like me back, and that is something I understand. But, I just need to let you know that… ever since you joined the team, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and the more we hung out, the more I’ve felt this way. I feel it may be more than just the werewolf and hunter connection between us.” Ushijima stops breathless. 

Tendou’s hands have flown to his mouth, covering the wide ‘O’ it’s formed. He can’t believe he’s actually hearing this. Ushijima, Japan’s top volleyball player, Captain of Shiratorizawa, his best friend, has feelings for him, just as he has feelings for Ushijima. 

Now, his hands are the ones that tremble. Instead of pulling away, as he had expected, Ushijima places his hands over Tendou’s and holds them. 

Hot tears are streaming down his cheeks as he confesses, “Ushijima, I like you too. I like you so much and I never thought that the feeling was mutual. But now it is… I just… I’m so happy that you feel the same way as I do about you.” He wipes away his tears of joy, sniffing a little. There aren’t many passengers on the train but Tendou couldn’t care less what they had thought about this sight. 

The woods don’t speed past his vision this time. They slowly change their colours like the leaves in autumn. Soon, the scenery changes into the fields in the countryside and more rural towns and Tendou couldn’t be happier to point and comment on each one to Ushijima. 

When they finally reach their stop, Ushijima offers his hand. Tendou’s grin is fixed upon his face and he takes Ushijima’s hand without hesitation. It fits snugly and its warmth is a calming touch. With his other hand, Ushijima gingerly cups Tendou’s chin and leans in. Tendou closes his eyes and stands on his tiptoes to meet Ushijima’s lips. Tender and soft would be what Tendou would describe their kiss while his insides sparked with electricity between them. 

With their hands still together, they walk out of the station and know that they’ll never be alone. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me at Misttiique on [Tumblr](https://misttiique.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/misttiique). Thanks for reading!! :D
> 
> It's an honour to partner up with the artists Catastra_fey and SketchySpirit for this event. 
> 
> Check out Catastra_fey's piece [here](https://catastrafey.tumblr.com/post/638941623008542720/a-sweet-blushy-ushiten-from-my-collaboration-with) and see more of her amazing work on [Tumblr](https://catastrafey.tumblr.com/)! 
> 
> Check out SketchySpirit's piece [here](https://sketchyspirit.tumblr.com/post/638947547190263808/second-piece-for-hqurbanfantasybang-3-you-can) and see more of her wonderful work on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sketchyspirit/)!


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